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Letter from the Rector
Palms & Holy Week
New Leaflet Format
In Memory
Exciting Habitat News!
Construction Workers Needed
Seabreeze Day
Christian Lane Accepts Appointment
Southeast Ecumenical Ministries
Antiques Show Welcomes Newcomers
Ushers Needed
Palm Sunday, Holy Week and Easter
You will notice that for the past several weeks our bulletin has announced a new vision statement for our parish: "Anyone entering St. Paul's experiences immediately that God is in this place, a place that through Christ is loving, joyous, inclusive, transformative and full of grace." Through prayer and careful listening to the spirit of our church, your Vestry, at their February Retreat, crafted this word picture of who we are striving to be as a faithful community of Christians. Vision statements are trying to capture what the future would look like, what we aspire to be, as we allow God to mold our lives and shape our community into the likeness of Christ.
We are to be a people where friend or stranger alike experiences the love of Christ. This love both nurtures us when we need our emotional wounds tenderly cared for, as well as challenges us when we are stuck in our ways and fail to see our spiritual stagnation.
We are to be a people that knows and experiences the joy of the Christian life. Christian joy is very different from just being happy. Christian joy has unfailing trust in God's goodness even in the midst of difficult and dark times.
We are to be an inclusive people that open our hearts to all of God's people, regardless of age, nationality, ethnicity, race, sex or sexual orientation.
We are to be a people open to the tranformative power of God in our lives. God needs us to be agents of change for justice and peace in the world.
We are to be a people full of grace, where we recognize our complete dependence upon God and thus live a life of gratitude and thanksgiving.
As we enter Holy Week, I ask you to hold in your prayers this vision for our parish. May it be a source of inspiration and guidance of who we, as a parish, are called to be.
Faithfully yours,
The Reverend Frederic Reynolds
On Palm Sunday we celebrate Jesus' triumphal entry into Jerusalem, which marks the beginning of Holy Week and leads to the Triduum - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and the Great Vigil of Easter. The symbol that dominates Palm Sunday is, of course, palms - lots of palms. The celebratory character of Palm Sunday, however, quickly changes as we enter the reading of the Passion Gospel. This second theme, which culminates with our observance of Good Friday, pervades Holy Week. This tension - the tension between a triumphal entry and the cross - begins on Palm Sunday and continues throughout Holy Week. It seems appropriate, therefore, to hold that tension before us, not in words only - our prayers, the readings from scripture - but through our use of symbol. Thus, this year the palms of Palm Sunday will remain present until they are removed at the end of the Maundy Thursday celebration. As they die and shrivel and become dry, may they be a reminder to us that what begins as feast on Palm Sunday ends with death on Good Friday.
For some time, we have been struggling to include in the Sunday leaflet the necessary information about our various ministries to keep people informed so that the community can participate fully. There have been an increasing number of days when we have had to omit items due to space limitations. At the same time, we have been looking at a number of leaflets from other parishes across the nation to see how they have addressed this issue, and especially how they have worked at being welcoming to people unfamiliar with our liturgical style of worship.
The Vestry and Worship Committee, working with the clergy, have created a new format for our Sunday leaflet. We will begin using this on Easter Day. Your observations and suggestions are welcome (please direct them to Tom McCart.)
Frank Betsinger
Beatrice Biggs
Frances Folsom
George Juneau
The Cruz family has been named for our Habitat House at 118 Fulton Avenue! The Cruz family, consisting of Julio, Marguerita, and their four children, are working on their 250 hours which are required for them to get a house. Very soon there will be pictures of the family and house for all to see.
The Habitat Committee, Clergy and Vestry, wish to give a huge thank you to all the very generous contributors to the Habitat Matching Grant Fund. The goal of the $1,000 has been met with your kind help, so that means $2,000 will be given toward the completion of the Habitat House at 118 Fulton Avenue. To date, the SEARCH Habitat Project has raised a total of approximately $61,500 toward the goal of $65,000.
This is your last chance to lend a hand with a hammer and/or work on the HABITAT house at 118 Fulton Avenue. Construction workers are needed for any day Tuesday - Saturday in all of April. The Cruz family usually works on Saturdays... so if you can help for a day please call Kathy Schaertel at 288-6489 or 421-3226. We need to send names of anyone interested approximately two weeks ahead. Currently an addition of another bedroom is happening and finish work inside the main part of the house. Come have a very gratifying experience.
July 31, 2004
2nd Annual Shalom
Seabreeze Day
Our Interim Organist, Chris Lane, has accepted the appointment of assistant organist at St. Thomas' Episcopal Church, New York City. He will be working with John Scott, formerly of St. Paul's Cathedral, London, who will succeed Gerre Hancock upon his retirement.
A parish known for its excellent music program, especially its Men and Boys Choir, Chris will have the opportunity of working with Scott, who is considered by many to be one of the foremost choral conductors in the world. The appointment is for one year, and Chris will then continue his post-graduate studies.
A search has already begun to appoint a successor. Working with David Higgs, Chair of the Organ Department at Eastman, the search committee will interview several qualified candidates and expect to make a one or two-year appointment by July 1.
Although Chris will continue as our organist through July, we will honor and celebrate his musical ministry with us during one of the Sundays in June.
SEM has been providing much needed food and transportation relief to the poor, elderly and ill in the greater Southwest area of Rochester for 35 years. Last year, the SEM food cupboard served 3,788 people, with a total of over 50,000 meals. The SEAFISH transportation program provided 2,137 rides to our neighbors. There is no charge for our services. We are not only a food pantry and a transportation program anymore…
We also provide pharmacy assistance through our Community Health and Pharmacy Partnership (CHAPP) program, and have partnered with the Pittsford food cupboard and the First Baptist Church of Rochester in Brighton, with the creation of the BFD—Brighton Food Depot. If you would like specific information on any of our programs, please call me at 271-5350. I would enjoy talking with you. We know there is a large need for all the services we provide.
Thank you,
Lauries Jenkins,
Executive Director SEM
If you are new to St. Paul's and have not attended an Antiques Show before, or you need a refresher, read on.
The Antiques Show is the biggest production, in terms of money raised and volunteer hours given, of anything we do all year at St. Paul's. The show begins Thursday, April 22, with a gala Preview Party from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. Your invitation will arrive shortly. To respond, send your check and the response card back, and your name will be placed on a reservation list. Simply give your name at the door when you arrive. Sip wines and feast on homemade hors d'oeuvres, while you admire the lovely antiques displayed by 22 professional dealers. Your preview party reservation also gives you unlimited access to the show on Friday, april 23, 11:00 a.m. to 7 p.m., and Saturday, April 24, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Please join us as a volunteer, a baker, a clean-up helper, for a few hours, and also plan to attend the Preview party on April 22. See you there!
Ushers are needed for the Easter Services on Sunday, April 11, at 8:00 a.m. and 10:00 a.m. We have full music at both services, so each will require eight ushers. If you can serve, please sign up in the parish activities book or call the church office at 271-2240.
Palm Sunday
April 4
8 a.m. Holy Eucharist with the Blessing of Palms
10 a.m. Holy Eucharist with the Blessing of Palms
and Procession
March 16-31, 2004
Holy Week
Monday, April 5
12 noon - Holy Eucharist
Tuesday, April 6
12 noon - Holy Eucharist
Wednesday, April 7
12 noon - Holy Eucharist with Healing
Maundy Thursday, April 8
12 noon - Holy Eucharist
7 p.m. - Holy Eucharist, Washing of Feet,
& Stripping of the Altar
Holy Saturday, April 10
8 p.m. - The Great Vigil of Easter
Easter Day, April 11
8 a.m. - Festal Holy Eucharist
10 a.m. - Festal Holy Eucharist
Cross of Flowers, April 18
8 a.m. - Holy Eucharist
10 a.m. - The Cross of Flowers